Is your life characterized by a quiet assurance that guards your heart and mind all day long (Phil. 4:6-7),
Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. I have always wondered why we typically celebrate His birth by giving gifts to everyone but Him. What gifts does He want from us? What gifts are fit for the King? To answer that question, let’s return to that first Christmas and see what gifts He received that holy night.
The gift of trust
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was a teenage girl, probably fourteen or fifteen years old, engaged to Joseph when an angel appeared to her with the startling message that she would have a baby, a son named Jesus. Since she was still a virgin, Mary did not understand the message but she knew the One who had sent it – and that was enough. Trust is a gift fit for the King.
The gift of obedience
John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
Joseph’s engagement to Mary was legally binding. Imagine his shock and confusion when he learned that Mary was pregnant. Knowing that he could not possibly be the baby’s father, Joseph’s first reaction was to quietly divorce Mary. An angel from God appeared and told Joseph to “keep her but do not sleep with her!”
Joseph’s response could have been many things - but he chose obedience.
A small child riding in the car wanted to stand in the front seat by his father. The dad explained the importance of a seat belt and told the little boy to sit down. He refused, crossing his little arms in defiance. The father physically sat his son down and buckled him into the seat, bragging on the little boy for his obedience. With a defiant glare, his son said, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m still standing up on the inside.”
Obedience is an active choice to do what God wants us to do. Obedience is not just an outward motion – it is also an inward attitude – and a gift fit for the King.
The gift of praise
Psalm 50:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
When the shepherds heard the angels’ news, they went to see Jesus for themselves. After they saw the baby, they left praising God!
Anytime we are in the presence of God, praise will result. Praise is also a continual choice we make repeatedly until it becomes a habit. Don’t let anyone or any circumstance keep you from praising God. Praise keeps us kneeling before the manger and is a gift fit for the King.
The gift of sacrifice
The Wise Men came; bringing gifts that required sacrifice because they knew that true worship always involves sacrifice. Gold, a precious metal, Incense, a rare and expensive product used in worship, and Myrrh, an expensive perfume, were the gifts they brought to Jesus. Sacrifice goes beyond what is required or expected. The best gift - the most expensive and extravagant gift - should go to the one whose birthday we celebrate. Gifts of trust, obedience, praise, and sacrifice please God and are gifts fit for the King.
In other words, the best gift that we can give God at Christmas is US!
The totality of the Bible. Everything in its 66 books, 1,189 chapters, 30,442 verses and 845,000 words is summed up in the sublime revelation that God gave His Son to atone for our sins.
There will be presents, Christmas trees, family, and all kinds of food today. All those things are great for celebrating but always remember why we celebrate. We received our promised Savior—Jesus Christ!
The Son of God . . . came to seek us where we are in order
that He might bring us to be with Him where He is.
~J. I. Packer~
Rejoice that the immortal God is born that mortal men may
live in eternity.
~Jan Hus~
All too often I find the lost to be blind, deaf, and confused. There seem to be too many paths to God. Which is right? Jesus said in John 10:14: "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." So how do we really know that Jesus is the right path? Go back to John 10:13: "The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." In other words, all of man's paths to righteousness are empty and self-serving. The only power for real change comes from Jesus. The only One with the authority of God, who laid down His life for us, is Jesus. In Him we find all that we have been searching
Feeling like our life is full of unknowns can be hard. But without those blanks, we would have no room for God to enter in and write His answers. For Him to become the Way when there is no way. For Him to be the Truth when lies long to be what consume our thoughts. For Him to be the Life He’s designed on the other side of our crumbling attempts to control our stories.
Our God is not fickle, forgetful or fragile in any way. He does not make mistakes. He purposes the gaps. He allows sacred spaces and blank places. He leaves room.
Joy is not so much meant for the good times as it is for the tumultuous times. This genuine joy does not deny the existence of pain, heartache, and loss, but it also acknowledges the strength of our God to heal, mend, and restore. Joy must be engaged and actively adopted. The season of Advent is about the arrival of the Savior and the joy he brings to the nations in the midst of our darkest hours. I earnestly implore you to embrace joy and let it be rooted in Christ’s capability instead of your present reality.
With Christ as your Savior and constant Companion, you too,
although alone, need never be lonely.
~Billy Graham~
As long as your work is not evil—like stealing, for example—what you do each day is for the Lord, for his purposes, honor, and glory. This can make all the difference in the world when it comes to how we think about and function in our daily work.
Have you bowed your knee to accept Christ as your King this Christmas?
O Worship the King, all glorious above, And gratefully sing His power and His love; Our shield and defender, the ancient of days, pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.
~Robert Grant~
the story of Jesus encourages us to see the hand of God at work, rewarding us for our faithful stewardship of what God has entrusted to us by giving us more opportunity, more responsibility, more authority.
“Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.”– John Ortberg
Wisdom comes from the ability to look past the surface and the superficial into the heart of a problem.
What Child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while
shepherds watch are keeping?
~William Chatter Dix~
God has chosen you, but are you living the victorious life of one who is chosen by God? Sin and death were conquered on the Cross, and as a believer, you have been given life in Christ Jesus because of your faith and by the grace of God. Are you the joyful person God intended you to be when He chose you as one of His treasured possessions?
Madeleine L'Engle wrote, “In the mystery of the Word made Flesh, the Maker of the stars was born.” Don’t miss what that means.
Don’t miss Christmas.
This is an incredibly important eschatological step for the church, the recognition that salvation comes singularly through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; not from any duty we must perform or act we must complete such as circumcision or baptism. Sometimes this just seems too simple, but it is God's radical truth.
We cannot always trace God’s hand but we can
always trust God’s heart.
~Charles Spurgeon~
The very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world was that He might offer up His life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He came to die. This is the heart of Christmas.
~Billy Graham~
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing.”
Joy to the World—F. Handel / Isaac Watts
This Jesus, the Christ of God, who made the universe and who sustains all things by his powerful word, was a tiny babe among us. He was comforted to sleep when He whimpered in His mother’s arms. Great, indeed, is the mystery of godliness.
~A.W.Tozer~
“Darkness comes. In the middle of it, the future looks blank…But with God, nothing is impossible. He has more ropes and ladders and tunnels out of pits than you can conceive. Wait. Pray without ceasing. Hope.”—John Pipe
The miracle of miracles! You, O Christ, that baby in Mary's arms are both God and human being. You make God accessible to me.
~A. W. Tozer~
Who is this that is called Wonderful Counselor (פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ), the Mighty God (אֵל גִּבּוֹר), the Everlasting Father (אֲבִיעַד), the Prince of Peace (שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם)? Who is this but the One who in love chose to partake our mortal coil to lift us up into eternal life? [Hebrew for Christians]
Godly praying also includes spiritual alertness: "being watchful to this end." When prayer is especially needed, we can be tempted to slumber. In Gethsemane, the disciples were not alert to the great need to pray.
We can’t say “He just doesn’t get it or care,” because God’s love comes to us soaked in divine blood. Christ’s suffering on the cross atoned for our sins, but His suffering, tests, and temptations allowed Him to understand, empathize and help us.
Randy Alcorn
O wondrous love, that out of love to us He should take our nature upon Him, taking up Himself the shame and suffering that was involved in our redemption, and becoming one of us that He might die for us and redeem us!
R.A. Torrey
“Thomas called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16).
“Doubting…
The immense step from the Babe at Bethlehem to the living, reigning triumphant Lord Jesus, returning to earth for His own people––that is the glorious truth proclaimed throughout Scripture. As the bells ring out the joys of Christmas, may we also be alert for the final trumpet that will announce His return, when we shall always be with Him.
~Alan Redpath~
“The incarnation of Jesus is our salvation.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The inn had no room for Christ. Do you have room for Christ?” — Charles Spurgeon
“The heir of all things cradled in a manger! Marvelous is this!” — Charles Spurgeon
“In the manger lay an infant who was also infinite; a feeble child who was also the Creator of heaven and earth.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Whether in the manger or on the cross, wherever we see Jesus, we see salvation.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The King is born, and now he must be acknowledged.” — Charles Spurgeon
“When wise men seek our King they are wise indeed.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Jesus who lay in Bethlehem's manger is God over all.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Immanuel, God with us in our nature and our sorrow.” — Charles Spurgeon
“He who fastened the pillars of the universe was hanging on a mortal breast.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Our salvation hinges upon the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The Lord of glory is born the Son of man.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Strange that the Lord of glory was not born in a palace!” — Charles Spurgeon
“The shepherds were poor and illiterate, but that did not hinder God from revealing himself to them.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Jesus left all the royalties of heaven, to be born in a stable and laid in a manger.” — Charles Spurgeon
“If Jesus was born in poverty, may not the poor in spirit expect that he will be their friend?” — Charles Spurgeon
“The one whom earth could not hold, lying in his mother’s arms.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Now a happy Christmas to you all; and it will be a happy Christmas if you God with you.” — Charles Spurgeon
“A child of a virgin, the mortal and the immortal.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The birth of Christ should be the subject of supreme joy.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Infinite and infant. Oh, the wonder of Christmas!” — Charles Spurgeon
"The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end." – Charles Spurgeon
Jesus doesn’t exist for our agendas. We exist for His mission.
We’re good at sinning, but Jesus is better at saving. He’s a better Savior than we are sinner.
What did Adam say to his wife? "It’s Christmas, Eve!"
Christmas. It’s not about movies, it’s about the greatest Story ever told. It’s not about lights, it’s about the Light of the World. It’s not about a tree, it’s about the One who was crucified on a tree. It’s not about presents, it’s about His presence. It’s all about JESUS.
Jesus didn’t come to earth because it was full of “good people” that just needed a life coach. He came because the world was full of sinners that desperately needed a Savior.
“You may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God.” - C.S. Lewis
“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” - C.S. Lewis
Q.45. How does Christ's resurrection benefit us? A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he obtained for us by his death. — Heidelberg Catechism
"In Christ dwells the fulness of the divine nature, of all the perfections of deity, such as eternity, immensity, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, immutability... & every other; if any single perfection was wanting... the fulness of the Godhead would not be in him." - Gill
Christ emptied Himself not by losing what He was, but by taking to Him what He was not. Augustine
“Q.45. How does Christ's resurrection benefit us? Third, Christ's resurrection is a sure pledge to us of our blessed resurrection.” — Heidelberg Catechism
“Q.45. How does Christ's resurrection benefit us? Second, by his power we too are already raised to a new life.” — Heidelberg Catechism
“But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.” — Athanasian Creed
Jesus became man and remained God. "He became what He had never been before, but He did not cease to be what He always had been." - John Owen
“Just as an artist has rights over the artwork he makes and explains its meaning, so our Creator has a right to tell His creations how to live.” — Glorifying and Enjoying God
@RHB_Books
"Preach Christ for awakening, Christ for comforting, Christ for sanctifying." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne. Memoir & Remains, 401.
“He is one, certainly not by the blending of his essence, but by the unity of his person.” — Athanasian Creed
“He humbled Himself more in lying in the virgin's womb than in hanging on the cross. It was not so much for man to die, but for God to become man was the wonder of humility.” — Thomas Watson
“Duty or guilt may motivate us for awhile, but only a sense of Christ's love for us will motivate us for a lifetime.” — Jerry Bridges
Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as he hath promised? Christ is very man and very God; with respect to his human nature, he is no more on earth; but with respect to his Godhead, majesty, grace and spirit, he is at no time absent from us. — Heidelberg 47
2000 yrs after Abraham hears of a seed, 1400 yrs after Moses learns of a prophet, 1000 yrs after David hopes for a future king, 700 yrs after Isaiah tells of a son-bearing virgin, 600 yrs after Daniel speaks of a Stone, 9 months after Gabriel appears to Mary, Jesus is born.
“For while the incarnation is certainly different from all other revelation, it is also akin to it: it is its climax, crown, and completion.” — Herman Bavinck
“It was incumbent upon the Mediator between God and humanity, by His relationship to both, to bring both to friendship and concord, and present humanity to God, while He revealed God to humanity.” - Irenaeus
“… it is evident that Christ's divinity is surely beyond the bounds of the humanity that has been taken on, but at the same time his divinity is in and remains personally united to his humanity.” — Heidelberg Catechism Question 48
If God wanted to rescue animals, He would have come as an animal. If He wanted to rescue angels, He would have come as an angel. If He wanted to rescue trees, He would have come as a tree. But, God wanted to rescue humans, so He came as the Son of Man to rescue men and women!
Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again. George Whitefield
For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself. Charles Dickens
The gift of Christ is the highest and fullest manifestation of the love of God to sinners, that was ever made from eternity to them. —John Flavel, Works 6:64
The reason one does not rejoice in the incarnation is for lack of holy meditation upon the subject, its miraculous nature, the promises, the Person, fruits, & this great salvation brought about by his suffering & death. —Wilhelmus à Brakel, Christian’s Reasonable Service, 1:515
"Jesus did not come to call the righteous. He did not come to establish a holy club and hang around with religious people." —Alistair Begg
Love is the sum of all virtue, and love disposes us to good. -Jonathan Edwards -
Nothing less than a whole #Bible can make a whole #Christian. -A.W. Tozer
Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. C. S. Lewis
To lose temper and call names is a common sign of a defeated cause. —JC Ryle (1816-1900), on John 8:48-52
There is no broader way to apostasy than to reject #God's sovereignty in all things. -John Owen -
He that is down needs fear no fall. -John Bunyan -
There is one that will accuse if you do not accuse yourselves. Now confession puts Satan out of office. —Thomas Manton, Works 6:246
The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship. Martin Luther
Christ incarnate is nothing but love covered with flesh. - Thomas Watson
The more they have been in 𝘴𝘪𝘯, the more will they be in 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 when once they have tasted the sweetness of pardon, and had an answer of grace from God. —Puritan Thomas Manton, Works 6:255
Christ adds not one drop of love to God’s heart, [but] only draws it out. —Thomas Goodwin, Works 4:86
Your Father’s good pleasure will not be frustrated; your hope of heaven will not be disappointed. Rest in this assurance, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Spurgeon
"The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation." (J.I. Packer)
For those who love #Christ the second coming will be a thousand times more refreshing than any sunrise they ever saw -Jonathan Edwards -
The weakness of so many modern #Christians is that they feel too much at home in the world. -A.W. Tozer -
In truth, Jesus made the little town of Bethlehem and all that it was. He also made the star that lingered over the scene that night. He had come into His own world. Everything we touch and handle belongs to Him. So we have come to love Him and adore Him and honor Him! Tozer
"Pastor the congregation you have. Equip the leaders you have. No regrets or daydreams, go for resurrections in actual lives." - Jordan Taylor
Truth comes before unity. Charles Spurgeon
God help and direct me; and though I deserve no such honour, enable me yet to do some good. - William Wilberforce
The knowledge that we are never alone calms the troubled sea of our lives and speaks peace to our souls. -A.W. Tozer -
God's Word is for all of us and each of us; He does not need to give particular messages to particular people. -Jonathan Edwards -
You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. Charles Spurgeon
God created the world out of nothing, and so long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us. Martin Luther
The greatest miracle of all is not just that Jesus came... but that He came down from Heaven to take on human flesh to be with us.
Jesus’ incarnation was the fulfillment of so many promises from God. He’s the proof that God lives up to His word. He came to earth to be with us — Hallelujah!
There is a stillness in holiness that causes worldly noise to fade into the background.
Merry Christmas Eve! Tonight, let’s focus on the miracle that happened that holy night. Love came to earth! Jesus, the King, was born! Praise Him!
Messiah the Lord was born FOR YOU!
When the Bible speaks of joy, however, it refers to something far deeper than that. It’s an abiding joy that is independent of our circumstances. The joy that we experience in Christ can be ours, both in good times and in bad.
Joy is a magnet that God has given to believers. Nonbelievers have nothing like it. They have their moments of happiness, but that happiness completely depends on their circumstances.
Ray Stedman pointed out that the chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy. In fact, it’s that absence of fear and presence of joy that marks our genuine Christianity and proves that we really are what we claim to be.
The message of Christmas is don’t be afraid; instead, have great joy. Fear is what Christmas came to remove so that we can have great joy. But the condition of that joy is to let go of our fears.
We have a Savior. We have a Messiah. And we have a Lord. That is all we need to have a joyful Christmas.
The same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem and lived a perfect life voluntarily went to a cross and died for the sins of the world. Then He rose from the dead. That is the gift that God offers us. It’s the gift of eternal life.\\
C. S. Lewis said, “God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. . . . God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.”
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